Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- About 48 cm long
- Weight
- 800–1,000 g (28–35 oz)
- Habitat
- Alpine and subalpine forest, above the treeline
- Diet
- Omnivore — roots, insects, carrion and scavenged food
- Active Time
- Diurnal, active by day
- Lifespan
- Up to 20 years in the wild, longer in captivity
- It is the world's only alpine parrot, living year-round on New Zealand's snowy mountains.
- Olive-green plumage hides brilliant orange-red feathers under the wings, revealed only in flight.
- It is famous for genuine tool use and problem-solving, including prying rubber seals off cars.
- Fewer than an estimated 7,000 keas remain in the wild, and the species is endangered.
About the Kea
The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot, living year-round on the mountains of New Zealand's South Island, from beech forest up to snowfields above the treeline. Its plumage looks drab olive-green at rest, but brilliant orange-red feathers hidden under the wings flash into view the moment it takes flight. Keas are famous for extreme curiosity, strong problem-solving skills and genuine tool use, prying rubber seals from parked cars, working together to open latches, and manipulating objects with striking dexterity. Omnivorous and opportunistic, they eat roots, insects, carrion and scavenged food. Fewer than an estimated 7,000 remain, and the species is endangered.
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